FHWASeriesC2020plus30

FHWA Series C 2020 plus 30 font by PublicDomainHighwayFonts is a free condensed sans serif typeface that nails the tricky balance between space-saving and clarity. Borrowing its DNA from real-world highway signage, it packs tall, lean letters with clean, uniform strokes that stay readable even when squeezed into tight layouts. The slightly mechanical rhythm gives text a no-nonsense, utilitarian feel that still looks crisp on modern screens and prints.

Using FHWA Series C 2020 plus 30, you can fit long names, directions, or labels into narrow columns without them feeling cramped or jittery. This free font works beautifully for wayfinding systems, transportation graphics, dashboards, control panels, packaging labels, and condensed poster copy. Pair it with a wider, softer sans for headlines, and let FHWA Series C 2020 handle the dense, information-heavy text at smaller sizes.

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These fonts are for designing street, highway, and freeway signs in the United States and are based on public-domain outlines from the FHWA Standard Highway Signs manual.

They were designed on a 10,000-em square to accurately fit word widths to a 1/1000" specification, based on the tables in the Standard Highway Signs manual, when set at 504 points (5.6" height) in Adobe Illustrator. Words can be scaled up or down to the specified letter height while maintaining a high degree of width accuracy.

Additional letter spacing for U.S. signs is determined by percentage rather than by software tracking. Separate fonts are provided for spacing up to 50% positive or negative. The -100 and +100 fonts can be used to blend with a +50 or -50 word to obtain 60%, 70%, or 80% above or below. No kerning tables are provided, because kerning is not officially used in the production of street signs in the United States.